UPDATE: 3 dead, 3 injured in horrific early morning crash on Highway 101 in Sunnyvale

SUNNYVALE -- Three people were killed, three others taken to the hospital with injuries early Monday morning in a horrific chain reaction crash on Highway 101 in Sunnyvale.

CHP Sgt. Gil Ontiveras said 911 calls started coming in reporting a red Ford pickup truck had slammed into the center divider between the Fair Oaks and Lawrence Freeway exits at around 12:28 a.m.

Upon arrival, CHP officers discovered not only the truck but five other vehicles that had collided while trying to avoid the crash scene.

ALSO READ: 1 dead, 4 injured after police pursuit ends in horrific San Francisco Mission District crash

After several of the initial vehicles crashed, CHP investigators said, the drivers of three of the vehicles got out of their cars and were standing in close proximity, in the center divide, when another vehicle crashed into the scene. The pedestrians were struck and sustained fatal injuries.

Two of the pedestrians were thrown over the center divide wall and into the lanes of US-101 southbound, and the third remained on the northbound side. 

"They stopped in their lanes, got out of their vehicles to access damage and check on others and were struck," CHP spokesman Ross Lee said of the fatalities whose names have not been released.   

Tyler Tolentino Rasay, 28, of South San Francisco, and Paul August Dennig Jr., 24, died in the collision, according to the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's Office.

The name of a third person killed in the wreck has not been released.

Three other people involved were transported to Stanford Medical Center with moderate injuries. Initially, the CHP said five were injured.

The incident is still under investigation. Officers are working to recreate the sequence of events. At this time, it is unknown whether alcohol or drug impairment played a role in this crash.  

All northbound and southbound lanes were shut down as Caltrans crews cleaned up the scene and CHP investigators tried to determine a cause.

Lanes reopened around 9 a.m.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the CHP San Jose office at (408) 655-2620.